Promoting health in underserved rural El Salvador: An ongoing outreach and education program

El Salvador has a developing economy still recovering from 12 years of civil war, earthquakes in 2001, and hurricanes in 1998 and 2005. In many rural communities, Salvadorans live in poverty and lack access to basic public health services. In the fishing village of Isla de Mendez, on the southern region of Úsulután, the average income is less than half the national average per capita. There is no formal infrastructure for services, such as healthcare, water treatment, or waste disposal. To address concerns identified by the local community, public health workers, from Health CORE at Yale University, collaborate with community leaders and partner with regional development organizations to implement community-based public health interventions. Outreach and education materials are developed to provide information and training to residents, community health advocates and youth on topics ranging from environmental stewardship, water sanitation, and hygiene. Interventions are designed to require minimal economic resources to maximize self-sustainability. Annual community-wide surveys are conducted to evaluate program performance and monitor health trends in the community. Survey questions cover basic demographics, personal health and behavior, environment, reproductive and child health, water sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and social concerns. Survey findings assist policy and development decisions of regional development organizations, Foundation for Self-Sufficiency in Central America (FSSCA) and La Coordinadora, a local sustainable development organization. The research provides a reference point for US-based public health workers developing community-based interventions for underserved populations abroad.